November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. Most people understand that Alzheimer’s disease affects memory as well as thinking and reasoning skills. Less commonly understood is the difference between normal aging and Alzheimer’s symptoms.
The Alzheimer’s Association cites 10 common warning signs of Alzheimer’s. If you experience any of the symptoms below, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, early intervention can help delay symptoms and slow the progression of memory impairment.
- Memory loss that interferes with your daily life
As we age, it’s common to occasionally forget names or appointments. But forgetting them on a regular basis is a warning sign. Other signs are forgetting recently learned information, important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; or increasingly needing to rely on memory aids such as reminder notes. - Difficulty planning or solving problems
This might manifest as difficulty following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. It also might take you longer to do things than it used to. - Trouble completing familiar tasks
If you frequently experience difficulty with familiar tasks, such as driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game, it might be a sign of Alzheimer’s. - Confusion with time or place
It’s common to occasionally be confused about what day of the week it is. More troublesome is frequently losing track of dates, seasons or the passage of time, or forgetting where you are or how you got there. - Difficulty understanding visual images and spatial relationships
Some who develop Alzheimer’s experience trouble with their vision, including difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. - Trouble with words
For example, difficulty following or joining a conversation; difficulty finding the right word; calling things by the wrong name; stopping mid-conversation; or frequently repeating yourself. - Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
Occasionally misplacing something is normal. A warning sign of Alzheimer’s is frequently losing things and being unable to find them; putting things in unusual places; or accusing others of stealing the items you misplaced. - Decreased or poor judgment
This can manifest as poor judgment when dealing with money, for example, giving large amounts to telemarketers. Another example is paying less attention to personal hygiene. - Withdrawal from work or social activities
While work, family and social obligations wear out many people as they age, it’s less common to totally remove yourself from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. - Changes in mood and personality
For example, becoming confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. You might become more easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where you are out of your comfort zone.